Satsujinken
by Captured Moon
Summary: Satsujin-ken: a sword is a weapon and exists only to do harm. Kenjutsu is the art of killing. Kamiya Kaoru has lost loved ones before, but never has the pain of it been so sharp. The breaking of her heart restrains her as she watches the man who she knew as Himura Kenshin once again become the rurouni.


Hello fellow Rurouni Kenshin fans! This story is a kind of semi-soul sequel to Katsujinken, but one does not have to read it to understand what is going on (but, feel free to read it anyway :D).

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**Satsujin-ken**

Satsujin-ken: a sword is a weapon and exists only to do harm. Kenjutsu is the art of killing. Kamiya Kaoru has lost loved ones before, but never has the pain of it been so sharp. The breaking of her heart restrains her as she watches the man who she knew as Himura Kenshin once again become the rurouni.

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"This one is going to Kyoto."

Kaoru felt her heart stop. Not since a messenger told her of her father's death had a sentence caused such a vibrate pain. Her whole live she had trained with shinai and bokkens, and they were physical reminders that if you messed up, it would hurt. She thought through of all her memories of hits and injuries, but not one of them compared to what she felt now.

"You're going to… assassinate Shishio Makoto?" she asked. Kaoru looked the swordsman in the eye. Despite the pain, the young woman was a fighter. Maybe it would be possible to change his mind…

"No… possibly," The red haired man didn't look away from her gaze, but she watched his violet eyes glaze over. He was looking at someone else in another time. "For the last 10 years, this one has fought to keep from becoming Battousai. If this one can remain rurouni, it will be enough to meet and speak with him… defeat him if need be.

"During my stay here, this one's heart was at ease. I felt as if I changed from the Hitokiri to an ordinary swordsman…" His gaze still fixed, she watched a small smile cross his face. It lasted only a second before it returned to a thin line, his brows creasing. "But the fight with Saitou forced me to realize… that my inner heart has not changed. The madness of the Battousai still lives within me."

Her blood boiled and she felt herself shake. Kaoru wanted to hit him for thinking such terrible things. Such thinking was not only hurtful to him, but to her. Didn't he know how much she needed him to stay? Maybe it was selfish, but she sometimes thought he needed her just as much. They both cured each other's loneliness. She reached out and seized the swordsman's shoulders, resisting the urge to shake him.

"But… every time, you always came back to me!" she begged, never before feeling so pathetic. But she wanted to convince him that he could stay, and more so, she wanted him to stay. "The time with Jin'eh and the time with Saitou, you have always come back as Kenshin!"

"No," he answered sadly. "With Jin'eh, this one became Battousai to save you, and your voice is what brought this one back. But with Saitou, this one became Battousai for the sake of fighting. During that fight, not even your voice could have reached me. The difference is crucial."

Her hands slip off the swordsman's shoulders, defeated. Since she first met Kenshin, she felt a bond with the rurouni. He treated everyone with respect and had help morph the various social outcasts into her beloved family. Violet eyes met hers, coming out of the shadow that had hidden them since their conversation had started. They were beautiful.

"When I first met you… even though you knew this one was Hitokiri Battousai, you offered this one a place to stay," Kaoru felt her eyes widen at the memory. Since he first accepted her home and friendship, she only feared him leaving both behind one day. After Jin'eh, she felt more secure in his permanent residents by her side. Her blue eyes looked away, ashamed she'd been so naïve.

"You told me you didn't care about this one's past. It made me happy," Kenshin continued. "But, to the government, to Shishio, and to all the people who hold a grudge on me from the past… the Battousai is all this one will ever be."

She felt her lower lip tremble but fought to keep silent. Images of her life with Kenshin fled her mind, leaving only emptiness. Kaoru managed to look up before the swordsman gracefully wrapped his arms around her, pulling himself close to her in an embrace. Her blue eyes widened with surprise and her breath hitched in her throat. Despite her previous daydreams of this moment, she had never felt so distant from the man she loved…

"Thank you for everything," he whispered, slightly tightening his embrace. Tears flowed from her eyes onto the swordsman's worn gi. "This one is a rurouni. Once again, this one will wander.

"Sayonara."

The numbness dispersed and a full on pain racked her body. The swordsman broke his embrace and moved away. Kaoru couldn't even see his face as he turned and her vision tunneled.

"Kenshin," she whispered, the last of her fighting spirit wanting to go after him. Her shaking legs couldn't even attempt a step, however, and she sank to her knees. She could no longer see the swordsman through her tears and an overwhelming emotion filled her heart.

When she had learned of her father's passing, she would not allow herself to cry. The thought of him never coming home had never crossed her mind, but she was strong enough to carry on alone. As the last of her lineage, it was her duty to maintain the honor of the Kamiya name.

This time was different... Kenshin introduced himself, only to warn he would leave eventually. Despite his warning, she let herself depend on him and felt her love transition from friendship to something more. He brought others that needed a second chance into their community and gave her the family she had lost. They would be there for her in the morning. She would not be alone, but she was not strong enough to carry on this time.

"Kenshin!" the young woman cried before lowering her head to the ground. The sobs finally broke through and her hands gripped the sides of her head to stop the spinning.

Himura Kenshin had brought her happiness and she let it disappear into the darkness.

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So, after writing Katsujinken I wanted to write the yang to the yin. You cannot have good without evil and this tear-jerking scene brings the beginning to so many good things. I hope you all enjoyed my piece, and I hope to now move onto my own plots. Look forward to them and please review!

_CM-Chan_


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